Are you tired of constantly emptying your vacuum cleaner? Meet the Airrobo T20+, one of the most affordable self-emptying robot vacuums. But is it worth considering?
In this review, I’ll put the T20+ through rigorous tests to see if it lives up to the hype.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly robot vacuum that can handle vacuuming and mopping, the Airrobo T20+ may be the perfect match for your home!
Airrobo T20+ Review: Budget Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum
- Navigation - 95%95%
- Surface Cleaning - 98.77%99%
- Deep Cleaning - 60.22%60%
- Quality - 95%95%
- Design - 94%94%
- Value - 98%98%
Summary
The Airrobo T20+ combines efficient navigation, above-average cleaning on hard floors, and efficient mopping performance that doesn’t stall even with juice stains. It’s one of the best I’ve tested at the budget price range. Plus, its compact base station saves a ton of space without compromising on the bag volume (3 liters).
Pros
- Budget alternative (below $400)
- Excellent at cleaning debris on hard floors
- Efficient at mopping stains
- Decent dust bin and water capacity
- Above-average bag volume at 3 liters
- Compact base station
Cons
- Noisy
- No pad washing feature
- Lacks a true mapping run
Jump to: Introduction, App Features, Power, Navigation, Cleaning Performance, Mopping, Noise, Specs, Where to Buy, Is it Worth It, Verdict
Introduction to the Airrobo T20+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum
The T20+ is one of the latest Airrobot products with the added functionality of a self-emptying base station.
One unfortunate side effect of the added functionality is the increased base station size. However, Airrobot kept it simple with this model, focusing on space-saving convenience over the do-it-all functionality of other brands.
Airrobo utilized a vertically aligned port to reduce the base station size to the bare minimum.
Despite the downsized frame, it has an above-average capacity of 3.5 liters, which means it can hold up to 60 days of debris.
So that’s two months of hards-free convenience. But please note that that figure goes down if you have pets since hair occupies more space.
The base station excels at emptying the dustbin with its 26,000 Pascal suction, even with a full dustbin.
Robot Vacuum Design
The Airrobo T20+ features a classic round frame, a design that easily navigates tight spaces.
This vacuum, equipped with a single-side brush and a combo brush, is particularly effective at picking up debris on hard floors.
With a top-mounted dustbin and a built-in water tank boasting capacities of 350 and 340 milliliters, respectively, the T20+ is ready for serious cleaning tasks.
Plus, thanks to its self-emptying feature, you won’t have to worry about emptying the dustbin frequently, even when dealing with pet hair.
Mopping Feature
This robot also doubles as a robot mop since it has a mopping bracket. But unlike other more expensive brands, it doesn’t have an agitating element or a pad-washing feature.
So, this means you’ll need to wash the pad by hand after every run.
However, it has above-average mopping since it didn’t stall during the juice stain test, where other brands struggled.
App Features
The T20+ is compatible with the Airrobo app, and we’ll examine the most helpful features in this section.
1. Live Map
In my opinion, the most helpful feature is the live map, which shows the robot’s location in real-time. It’s a standard feature in most LIDAR-based robots, but the Airrobo T20+ is one of the cheaper options that functions like the ones you’ll see in premium brands.
2. Mapping Run
While this robot has a mapping run, it’s not a true mapping run since it toggles into a traditional run where it tries to go through every nook and cranny.
The T20+ has a mapping run that toggles into a traditional run after map creation.
Regardless, it does an excellent job of creating the map. If you have an open door, it detects it and automatically adds a partition.
One drawback of the app is that if you close a door, it creates a new map with the door closed. This means you’ll have to manually switch back to the original map with the door open for selective room cleaning to function properly.
3. Map Saving
The Airrobo T20+ can save up to five map levels, one more than Roborock.
4. Containment
Containment is available in the Airrobo app, and there are two options: no-go zone and no-mop zone.
In practice, these options serve the same purpose: preventing the robot from entering a specific square or rectangular area.
The only difference is that one option blocks the robot from vacuuming while the other blocks it from mopping.
5. Cleaning Options
The Airrobo T20+ offers versatile cleaning options. You can choose between vacuuming only, mopping only, or a hybrid mode that handles both tasks simultaneously.
The vacuuming mode features four power settings, while the mopping mode provides three options to suit your needs.
How Much Power Does The Airrobo T20+ Have?
Next, we’ll examine this robot’s power, where I use an anemometer to check airflow.
Here are the results:
- Quiet: 6.95 CFM
- Standard: 8.37 CFM
- Strong: 11.33 CFM
- Max: 12.49 CFM
Unfortunately, this robot doesn’t have high-end airflow, with only a max of 12.49 CFM, which is below average compared to a premium option.
This is a huge reason why it wasn’t as good on deep cleaning tests as I’d hoped, where it got a below-average score (more below).
How Does The Airrobo T20+ Navigate?
The Airrobo T20+ is equipped with LIDAR (Laser Distance Sensor) technology, enabling precise location tracking and map creation.
This top-mounted system sends out rapid signals in a 360-degree radius, ensuring it always knows its exact position on the map, resulting in highly efficient cleaning.
Another advantage of a laser sensor is it will work in pitch-dark conditions with the lights off, which is a handicap for camera-based robots.
The Airrobo T20+ begins its cleaning cycle by meticulously tackling the edges, then moves to the center with a systematic back-and-forth pattern for thorough coverage.
While the Airrobo T20+ offers impressive features, its mapping run falls short compared to other brands I’ve tested. Even with the mapping mode enabled, it still goes through a full cleaning cycle instead of focusing solely on mapping.
This robot is one of the most efficient at navigating a small room, finishing a two-pass run in less than fifteen minutes.
Cleaning Performance
I test every robot vacuum on quaker oats, quinoa, pet litter, sand, hair, and coffee grounds to see how each model performs against the others.
It also gives me a baseline on which options perform the best.
Here are the results for the Airrobot T20+.
- Overall: 89.13%
- Hard Floor: 99.71%
- Sand on Hard Floor: 99.13%
- Carpet: 97.49%
- Deep Cleaning: 60.22%
Despite the low airflow, the T20+ was above average in most tests, especially on hard floors, with a 99.43% average in the different experiments.
Hard Floor Results
- Quaker Oats: 98%
- Coffee Grounds: 99.58%
- Quinoa: 99.72%
- Pet Litter: 99.7%
The Airrobot T20+ was excellent on hard floors, scoring an average of 99.71% in the standard tests with Quaker Oats, coffee grounds, quinoa, and pet litter.
Another plus is that the side brush does not scatter debris, which is an issue with other brands since the side brush spins fast.
Sand on Hard Floor
Even with sand, the Airrobo T20+ picked up a high percentage (99.13%); the eye test confirms this score.
Edge Cleaning
Another strength of the Airrobo T20+ is its efficient edge-cleaning performance. After several runs, it removed nearly every crumb of coffee grounds. However, the lack of airflow is evident, as it didn’t pick up debris in the crevice.
Hair Wrap
I tested this robot on five and seven-inch hair, and here are the results.
- 5-inch strands: 82%
- 7-inch strands: 64%
It’s not a premium-level score, but it’s decent for a low-airflow robot vacuum. One issue is that hair will wrap around the axles, which is tedious to remove.
Carpet Results
I tested this robot on low—and mid-pile carpets using the same debris on these surfaces. The results weren’t as good as on hard floors, which is expected because of the low airflow.
Low Pile
- Quaker Oats: 97.66%
- Coffee Grounds: 90%
- Quinoa: 99.6%
- Pet Litter: 95.22%
The results on this surface weren’t as good as it was on hard floors, and it struggled the most at cleaning coffee grounds only getting a 90% average.
Mid Pile
- Quaker Oats: 98.18%
- Coffee Grounds: 99.62%
- Quinoa: 99.68%
- Pet Litter: 100%
Surprisingly, this robot was better on this surface, picking up in the high 90s in all the tests.
Deep Cleaning
One drawback of the Airrobo T20+ is its low airflow, resulting in subpar deep cleaning performance.
In my tests on mid-pile carpet, it only managed to pick up an average of 60.22% of the sand, which is significantly less effective than other premium brands.
Mopping Results
One of the surprises with the Airrobo T20+ is its mopping efficiency, even without an agitating element.
I tested it on tough red wine and juice stains—prune juice, to be exact—notorious for challenging robot vacuums.
Check out these before and after photos from the red wine test. The T20+ removed all the stains on the first pass!
The juice stain test was a bit trickier. The vacuum initially stalled but finished the run and removed the stains after just one and a half passes.
Overall, this is the best robot vacuum I’ve tested for stain removal without an agitating element.
How Noisy Is The Airrobo T20+
I used a sound meter to check the Airrobo T20+ noise levels, and here are the results.
- Quiet: 60.3 dB
- Standard: 63.2 dB
- Strong: 70.0 dB
- Max: 73.7 dB
Despite the low airflow, this robot is noisy if you use the two higher settings, maxing at over 73 decibels.
Product Specifications
| Model | Airrobo T20+ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Airrobo |
| Battery | 3200mAh Li-ion |
| Run time | Up to 180 mins |
| Dirt Capacity (dry) | 350 ml. |
| Water Capacity | 340 ml. |
| Auto empty capacity | 3.5 liters |
| Clean water tank | N/A |
| Dirty water tank | N/A |
| Width | 13.77 inches |
| Height | 3.7 inches |
| Smart Navigation | Yes |
| Recharge and Resume | Yes |
| HEPA Filtration | No |
| Side Brush | Yes |
| Extra Filter | N/A |
| Manufactured In | China |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Price | Check Price |
Where Can I Purchase The Airrobo T20+?
The Airrobo T20+ is available at online stores like Amazon. The links below provide the latest pricing information.
- Airrobo T20+ on Amazon
Disclosure: If you purchase this robot vacuum through any of my links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost—a win-win that keeps us both smiling.
Is The Airrobo T20+ Worth It?
The short answer is yes. Given its price-to-performance ratio, I’d recommend this robot to folks looking for a budget alternative to more expensive Roombas.
However, with its airflow limitations, don’t expect premium-level performance. The Airrobo T20+ is best suited for folks looking for an efficient robot vacuum that will vacuum and mop hard floors efficiently with a self-emptying feature.
4 Reasons to Purchase the Airrobo T20+
- Efficient navigation: This robot will proficiently traverse your home and clean even large spaces because of this efficiency and self-emptying feature.
- Above-average vacuuming: Despite the low airflow, the T20+ excels at cleaning dirt on hard floors, yes, even sand.
- Great at mopping: I was surprised to see how well this robot mopped floors and didn’t stall during the juice stain experiment.
- Cheap cost: You don’t need to spend $500 to enjoy the benefits of a LIDAR robot with a self-emptying base station.
The Verdict: Excellent Budget Option
The Airrobo T20+ ticks nearly all the boxes for an ideal robot vacuum. It’s highly efficient at navigating tight spaces, delivers above-average vacuuming performance—especially on hard floors—and impressively mops even without an agitating element.
The clincher for me is the price close to the budget range compared to more established brands like iRobot or Roborock. If you don’t mind the lack of a pad-washing or deep cleaning capability, strongly consider the Airrobo T20+ for vacuuming and mopping your home.
